Ivanka Trump Files Appeal Against Requirement to Testify in New York Civil Case

Ivanka Trump is appealing a judge’s ruling that she must testify in a civil fraud case in New York involving her father, former President Donald Trump, and The Trump Organization.

Bennet Moskowitz, an attorney for Ivanka Trump, filed a notice of appeal Wednesday with the appellate division of the Supreme Court of the State of New York. Ivanka Trump was supposed to testify Wednesday, but that was delayed until Nov. 8 to allow her to appeal the ruling by Judge Arthur Engoron that she testify. Engoron on Friday denied an initial appeal regarding her taking the witness stand.

Donald Trump and his sons Eric Trump and Donald Trump Jr. have been on trial for about a month over claims they fraudulently inflated assets on statements of financial condition submitted to banks and insurers.

Ivanka Trump was originally named as a defendant until she succeeded in dismissing the claims against her on appeal under the statute of limitations because she left the Trump Organization to work with her father in the White House in 2017, The Messenger reported Wednesday.

Democrat New York Attorney General Letitia James, who brought the lawsuit that seeks $250 million in damages, said in a legal brief Ivanka Trump “remains financially and professionally intertwined” with her father’s company and “can be called as a person still under their control,” The Messenger reported Wednesday.

But according to Moskowitz’s notice of appeal, Engoron does not have jurisdiction to compel Ivanka Trump to testify because she is no longer is a New York resident and no longer does business with The Trump Organization. He also argued the subpoena to testify was not properly issued to her and that it was “overly broad and sought irrelevant information.”

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